


Licorice

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Candy, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27929578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: Gil is convinced his team could and would debate about anything.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 33
Collections: Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2020





	Licorice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cozy_coffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cozy_coffee/gifts), [RikkiWilde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RikkiWilde/gifts).



> **Disclaimer:** Not mine, Chris Fedak and Sam Sklaver owns it
> 
> **Notes:** Written for cozy_coffee for the prompt of yummy, yummy, yummy by Ohio Express and for Rikki Wilde for her birthday. This is what happens when you mention Red Vines vs Twizzlers to me.

Gil leaned on the door frame to his office, surveying the bullpen. It had been a slow couple of days, thankfully: no new murders to investigate. However, on the down times, sometimes his team got into the weirdest debates. He sipped his coffee, listening to this one. He wasn’t even sure what Bright was doing in the office. He hadn’t called him in so either Malcolm was hoping for something to do with that over-the-top enthusiasm of his or equally likely, he was dodging some event his mother wanted him to go to. If he were using work as an excuse, Gil would get a phone call later so Jess could give him hell for it. Mostly he listened with half an ear, knowing part of it was her worry over what dangers Malcolm was getting into and half of it was her own control issues.

He was more confused as to what Edrisa was doing sitting next to Malcolm’s desk. She was probably on her lunch break given the hour. She usually didn’t come up from the morgue often though. She must have had something she wanted to discuss with Malcolm and got sucked into the debate.

“I’m telling both of you, Red Vines is the best licorice going.” JT slashed his hand at Edrisa and Dani.

Dani rolled her eyes. “Twizzlers, everyone knows Twizzlers are better.”

“I’m not sure I can tell the difference in taste,” Edrisa said.

“That’s because dead body smell has coated your taste buds permanently,” Dani replied, and Gil grimaced, drinking more coffee to clear his own taste buds.

Edrisa made a face at Dani. “Not enough to kill the taste of licorice.”

“Not black licorice! We’re talking red licorice,” JT protested. “Only Bright thinks black licorice is yummy, yummy, yummy.”

Bright turned on his chair, fully engaged in the debate now. “I wouldn’t say that. For one, I don’t eat black licorice for the taste.”

“Says the man who usually has licorice on his breath,” Dani said.

“I eat it because its known to settle a bad stomach,” Bright forged ahead ignoring Dani.

“And it does do that. However, true licorice with the glycyrrhizinic acid in it can be dangerous to your health,” Edrisa said. “It basically deactivates a protective enzyme in the kidney that keeps cortisol from acting on the kidney. Without that enzyme, the cortisol signals the kidney to secrete potassium and with it goes water. Potassium in highly important in nerve conduction, cardiac rhythm, and water balance. If you eat enough licorice, it can cause muscle cramping, cardiac arrhythmias, impaired breathing, and severe hypertension. And Bright already has a ton of cortisol floating in his blood stream from his other…mental health issues shall we say? Licorice might not be the best idea. Though you would have to eat a huge amount of licorice to have trouble.”

“Ah, true but most licorices these days have the glycyrrhizinic acid removed and the red licorice isn’t even true licorice,” Bright countered.

JT rolled his eyes. “Leave it to you two to suck the fun out of licorice.”

“I contend you’d be better served by using ginger and mint to soothe your nausea. Though I did learn to like black licorice,” Edrisa said, shooting JT a glare but otherwise ignoring him. “Mostly because of my steampunk group.”

“Oh, the absinthe?” Bright asked.

Edrisa nodded her head. “It’s not an adult steampunk party without absinthe, right? You know steampunk?”

“I do.”

“You should come with me next time. It’s a lot of fun and absinthe is great.”

JT leaned toward Dani. “Do you ever get the impression that these two have their own language that no one else knows?”

Dani bobbed her head quickly, Edrisa and Bright’s twin looks of hurt not fazing her. “And how does any of this help the debate as to which is better Red Vines or Twizzlers?”

“The answer is neither. You can Google it. Some of the very best licorice comes from Australia, especially if you’re talking the red kind,” Bright replied.

“What are you even talking about, bro?” 

Bright opened his desk and took out a bag of Wiley Wallaby red licorice. “Try a piece.”

“It’s not going to be better than Red Vines,” JT argued but fished out a piece.

Bright shook the bag at Dani who helped herself, and then surrendered it to Edrisa.

JT took a bite and shook his head. “Damn it, I hate him. This is better.”

“Speak for yourself. Thanks for introducing us to this yummy.” Dani snagged the bag from Edrisa and tucked it into her own drawer.

Gil shook his head and retreated into his office as they squabbled about the purloined licorice. This was as bad as the best candy bar fight or the great Coke versus Pepsi debate of 2018. His children could fight about anything. He loved them anyhow.


End file.
